A sacrifice worth it?
by E4mj
Summary: AU. ONE SHOT. The summer after the Department of Mysteries, Harry and some of the order are captured by Voldemort and Harry sacrifices all to end it. NB. AU from before this starts - Sirius didn't die, but Harry still learnt the prophecy. Rated T for torture and sex - but NOT described more than a vague idea.


Harry kneeled chained to the floor, silent tears running down his face. Voldemort had broken in to Grimmauld place while (thankfully) most of the order had been taking the others shopping in Diagon Alley for school the next day. Not everyone had gone though. Hermione, Fred, Remus, Sirius, Tonks and Snape had been at Headquarters when the protections fell.

Voldemort walked slowly along the line facing Harry, running a slender finger along the back of his captured friends, making them shudder.

"Ah, Severus. I always knew you weren't mine. Oh well, at least we knew in the end hmm?" Voldemort laughed. Snape said nothing, only stared straight ahead.

"No response?" Voldemort shrugged lightly and moved on to Hermione, who was still struggling, but couldn't even scream as they had all been silenced.

"Ah, Harry's little mudblood. I think I might let some of the boys have a little fun before we're done."

Harry could feel Hermione's fear from across the room, and his anger increased. There was a sudden spike of magic in the room and he felt his bonds break and the silencing charm lift. He only moved enough to stare along the line of his friends and sigh.

"What do you want for them?" Harry croaked out.

Voldemort spun to face him with a look of surprise. "You've broken my spell." He growled. Harry simply nodded.

"You still have my wand. But you didn't answer my question."

"What do I want with them? Well–"

"No." Harry interrupted, causing shock, then a heavy glare to grace Voldemorts face. "I said what do you want _for_ them?"

"You will not get out of here alive Potter." Voldemort said.

Harry nodded. "I've realised. How about that's one then. I will swear an oath not to escape if you swear an oath on your _magic_," Harry met the eye's of the wizard who defied death once, "you swear an oath that she will be returned to Dumbledore immediately uninjured and un harmed."

Voldemort turned to look at Hermione, who was desperately shaking her head. Both wizards ignored her pleas. "You wish to bargin with me for your friends lives?"

"I do."

"hmm… I am not unreasonable Potter. I will even do one better." Voldemort pulled out his wand and placed it across both hands.

"I Tom Marvolo Riddle, also known as Lord Voldemort swear on my magic that I will release Hermione Granger to the Order of the Pheonix, uninjured and alive on this day, provided one Harry James Potter speaks an oath never to escape me. So mote it be." There was a glow around Harry, Voldemort and Hermione.

Tears were running down Hermione's face, but Harry stood, and to everyone's surprise, Voldemort Handed Harry his wand.

"What?" Voldemort said amused.

"You know your wand works for me just as well as my own, don't you Tom?"

Voldemort smiled. "Yes, but I have rather a lot of faith in my own wandless abilities.

Harry looked at him calmly, then took the oath.

"I, Harry James Potter, swear on my life, not to escape Lord Voldemort in exchange for Hermione granger's freedom. So mote it be."

Suddenly Hermione was free and tried to launch herself at Harry. She disappeared just before she reached him.

"She is back with the order." Voldemort said to Harry's glare.

Harry shut his eyes. "What do you want for them Tom?"

Voldemort surveyed his prisoners.

"I want to corrupt you." He replied.

"Explain." Harry said calmly.

"For the twin. I want the three curses."

Harry flinched. "And who," he said in a tight voice, "will be the pleasure of my subject."

"Again, I am not as cruel as you think… or maybe crueler." He strode over to Snape and pulled the man up, releasing the chains from the floor, but leaving him unable to move.

"I will not harm Snape." Harry said calmly, getting the first reaction from Snape since they arrived. Snape's jaw dropped.

"Interesting. It seems you have broken him anyway. But no, I can think of someone much better." Voldemort pressed his wand into Snape's arm and Peter Pettigrew apperated in. The man gave a loud squeak as he noticed who was with them.

"My… my Lord. You have captured Potter."

Harry and Voldemort ignored him. "Pettigrew?" Harry demanded.

"Tell me Harry. How much do you know of the unforgivbles?"

Harry glared back.

"Only what each of them feels like."

"Indeed." Voldemort looked almost amused.

"Do you know why they are unforgivable?"

"Having experienced them all, I can imagine."

Voldemort actually laughed at that. Harry saw Pettigrew shudder behind Voldemort. "Yes, they aren't pleasant. But what makes them unforgivable is they only work if you truly mean it."

"So I could cast the killing curse at Sirius right now and it would do nothing?" Harry asked.

"Very well done Potter. I can see you are much smarter than I have ever been lead to believe."

"Yes well every time we've met you've been too busy trying to kill me, and your only other information comes from Snape. He hates me."

"Indeed. And yet you won't kill him?"

Harry just nodded.

"The three for the twin?"

Harry shut his eyes, and turned to face Peter. The man seemed to have caught on, at least to the fact that he wasn't safe.

"M- My Lord?"

Harry gritted his teeth.

"_Imperio_." He cast at Peter, watching as he made the man turn to face Sirius and Remus. _'Apologize' _he sent. He watched Remus and Sirius in tears.

"I know it's not much Siri, but by the looks it's all I have left to offer." Harry said quietly. Sirius nodded through his own tears.

"The next one Harry." Voldemort pushed. "I am surprised that you got that on your first turn. Will you manage the next one?"

Harry turned his wand back to Peter.

"A minute Harry. I'll time."

Harry shut his eyes. "_Crucio_." Harry felt dirty. He could feel the magic flowing through him leaving a mark on his very being. He had understood what Dark magic was, but until now didn't know how it effected the castor. He ignored Peter's screams, trying to focus on Sirius' stay in Azkaban, his dead parents, and his own incarceration at the Dursley's.

"One minute." Voldemort said, giving Harry a very calculating look over Peter's sniveling body. "I thought that would take a few goes to reach a minute."

"I am desperate Tom, but I'm not cruel." Harry replied. "He is a right bastard, but no one deserves that."

"Hm, and the last one?"

Harry stood looking down at Peter, who was begging Harry with his eyes, still shaking from the crucio. Harry looked down at Voldemort's wand in his own hand. He looked back at Peter, but then across at Fred. Fred had a gash running down his left arm and a giant bruise from when the Deatheaters had their fun before Voldemort arrived. He looked back at Peter.

"I'm sorry Peter. _Avada Kedavra_." A green light flashed and Peter slumped to an unmoving pile. Harry was forced to take a step back and catch his breath. The crucio had left him tainted, but that left him feeling submerged in… filth.

Harry dropped the wand and fell to his knees.

There was a slight pop, and Fred was gone.

"How do I know he's safe?"

Voldemort shrugged and retrieved his wand, making another oath, promising that he would hold up any deal between them regarding Harry's oaths and his friends' releases. Harry couldn't bring himself to look at his friends, so he turned to face Voldemort.

"What do you want for them?"

"HARRY NO!" Sirius finally broke through his silencing charm, but it was quickly replaced. Voldemort just laughed.

"I want you."

"You have me." Harry argued, ignoring his Godfather.

Voldemort gave him a long stare and raised one eyebrow. Suddenly it clicked. Harry shut his eyes, but held out his arm.

Voldemort laughed again. "You really are much too intelligent."

Harry didn't move.

After a long silence, Voldemort moved closer, and Harry could feel the tip of his wand against his forearm.

"For Black then?"

Harry just nodded. Excruciating pain followed, making it's way, first through his nerves, then boiling his blood, then shattering his bones, and finally, latching on to his magic.

After a long moment, Harry passed out. Ten minutes later Voldemort revived him, and Sirius was gone. Tears streamed down his face, and he turned to face Remus.

"Tell him I love him Moony. You as well."

"Ah, yes. The werewolf." Voldemort sneered.

"What do you want for him Tom?"

"Hmm… ah yes, it seems fitting."

"No!" this time Remus broke free. "Not that! Anything but–"

"Silence!" Voldemort snarled.

Harry gave Remus a weak smile, and Remus slumped.

"A wolf for a wolf then. It's not full moon." Harry said, trying to keep his voice even.

"No, but your dear potions master solved that problem for us." Voldemort smirked, and stepped forward to grab Harry's arm.

Harry felt the regular burn of Voldmort touching him, but as the tip of his wand reached the dark mark it focused, sending a pulse of parslemagic out. Fernir Greyback appeared only a moment later.

"He touches no one else." Harry growled.

"No one else here tonight." Voldemort agreed, conjuring a silver cage around the werewolf from nothing. Without showing any other signs, Harry opened the cage and stepped in.

"What have we here Potter?" Greyback snarled.

Harry turned his back on the werewolf, focusing on Voldemort.

"I assume he won't kill me Tom?" Harry said, slightly amused.

"Hardly." Voldemort agreed, with a small frown.

A moment later a small vial appeared in front of Greyback, and the man drank it, and was forced into his wolf form. Moments later, so was Harry. He was also being pressed against the silver bars by the bigger wolf. Combined with the pain of a large bite running down his neck, slowly bleeding out, Harry soon passed out.

Harry wasn't sure how much time had passed when he came back to, but Greyback and the cage were gone. So was Remus.

Harry dragged himself to his feet ignoring the still bleeding bite and the scorch marks from the bars.

Tonks and Snape were staring at him, to Harry's complete surprise _both_ of them were crying.

"Two left Harry." Voldemort smirked.

"What do you want Tom?"

"You have very little left to offer." Voldemort pointed out.

Harry looked down at his Darkmark, then ran a finger over the bite mark.

"True, but I'm sure you will think of something."

"Nympha–"

"Tonks." Harry defended.

Voldemort raised his eyebrows. "Very well, Tonks then… She is very pretty Potter."

"She is beautiful." Harry agreed, unsure where this was going.

"You know Belatrix of course?"

"I may have noticed her when she tried to kill my Godfather in the department of mysteries, yes." Harry drawled sarcastically, unsure where this was going. "You should have brought her instead of Peter." Harry said, looking across at the man's body. "I don't suppose you'd want to send him to the ministry as a fresh body, Darkmark showing… or even better, to the Prophet?"

Voldemort raised his eyebrows. "Are you asking for a favor Potter?"

"I am."

Voldemort considered him for a long moment. "Very well." He waved his wand and Peter vanished.

"I didn't expect that." Harry said, masking his shock.

"So why did you ask?"

"Because I love Sirius. Why did you do it?"

"Because I am... I have always been, impressed with you as an enemy. You have more guts than the rest of my Deatheaters combined.

Harry shrugged. "That's what you get for choosing all Slytherins, and a single pathetic Gryffindor."

Voldemort looked curiously across at Harry. "You will not like the next request."

"I haven't liked any of them." Harry shrugged.

"You are making breaking you very hard Harry."

Harry shrugged again. "I wouldn't want to be boring."

"Indeed. You are going to allow me to _imperio_ you."

"I can break it."

"I am aware. You are not going to. You will _allow_ me to imperio you, to sleep with Bellatrix."

Harry squirmed, but eventually shrugged. "It isn't as if I haven't already sold my soul. You might need some Viagra."

Voldemort stared at him for a long minute. He opened his mouth twice to ask something, but didn't manage until his third attempt. "Would you prefer one of the men Harry?"

Harry actually managed to laugh at that. "I didn't realise I had a _choice_ Tom. But it makes little difference."

"Hmm. _Imperio_."

It was hard not to fight the curse, but once Bellatrix turned up Harry let go completely, desperately trying not to think about what his body was doing.

Harry felt the curse left as Bellatrix apperated out, leaving him naked in a room with Snape and Voldemort. Voldemort was giving him another of those appraising looks.

"Like what you see Tom?" Harry said snidely.

Voldemort smirked, but said nothing, simply waving Harry's clothes over, for Harry to put on.

"Tell me Potter, how does it feel? You have killed, tortured and raped. You are now less than human, and marked as my own." Voldemort questioned with a smirk.

"I am not less than human… Or at least, not because I was bitten."

Voldemort laughed again. "Always so positive. You could have made an excellent dark wizard Harry."

"Perhaps, but I prefer being light."

"But you aren't now, Are you?" Voldemort smirked.

Harry shrugged, but winced when the bite mark tore a little. "Perhaps not."

He then looked up to meet Voldemorts red eyes.

"What is he worth Tom?"

"Oh no… we are playing a different game here." Voldemort smirked, releasing Snape from his bindings.

"I'm sorry Potter." Snape blurted out, expecting to be silenced again. Voldemort just laughed. Harry smiled though.

"What is he worth Tom?" Harry repeated.

"Your life." Voldemort pressed his wand into Harry's hand. Harry looked down at it calmly, then pointed it at himself.

"Don't you dare Potter!" Snape snarled, he was straining forwards, but Voldemort had bound him in place again.

Harry just gave a sad smile, then turned to Voldemort.

"Do you want to know the Prophecy first?"

"Are you offering?" Voldemort said cautiously, surprised.

"Well you sent Peter to the ministry. Maybe you can extend the favor to making sure Sirius is cleared."

"I'm sure I will."

Harry nodded.

_"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches,_

_Born to those who have thrice defied him,_

_Born as the seventh month dies, _

_And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal,_

_But he will have power the Dark Lord knows not,_

_And either must die at the hand of the other,_

_For neither can live while the other survives._

_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches,_

_Born as the seventh month dies…"_

Harry made eye contact with Snape, but spoke to Voldemort. "I assume this will be enough, as it is essentially at your hand, even if it is my own." Then, before either man could react Harry turned the wand towards his heart. "_Avada Kedavra_."

Snape and Voldemort stood staring at Harry Potter's body for a long moment. Eventually Snape spoke.

"I didn't expect him to actually do that."

"You always have said he rushed into things without a thought in his head."

"I may have to revise my thoughts."

"Indeed." Voldemort paused. "Why do you think he told me the Prophecy?"

"A question first. Are you still bound by magic to release me unharmed?"

"I am. Even if I wasn't I still would."

"Really?" Snape let his blank façade drop in shock.

"Yes. I had a great deal of respect for Harry."

"He didn't have much for you." Snape drawled.

"No, but then he didn't have much for you either. I don't suppose we earned it from him."

"You are being very calm." Snape pointed out.

"I can hardly harm you." Voldemort said, bringing a bit of his glare back. "Why did Potter tell me the prophecy?" He growled.

"He didn't." Snape said calmly.

"You may be an excellent Occulomuns Severus, but Potter was hopeless. Besides, even if he weren't, I was _inside_ his head, so all of your lessons were for naught. Barriers wouldn't have helped, because I didn't have to get past them." Voldemort sneered, and much to his shock, Snape looked ashamed.

"Why, Severus?"

"He didn't–"

"He did not lie!" Voldemort yelled.

"No… but he wasn't telling you." Snape said calmly.

Snape was released from the bonds while Voldemort thought that over, and Snape felt the apparation ward lift again.

"May I take is body?" he questioned, eyeing the distance between Voldemort and himself warily.

"Hmm… Yes, I suppose so. Why did he tell you?"

"Because, Tom." Snape Sneered, having pulled Harry into his arms. "Now that _one has been killed by the other_, anyone can kill you."

Voldemort was still reacting to being called 'Tom' by anyone other than Harry when the Silent curse hit him and he dropped dead. Harry had still been holding Voldemort's wand when he died.

Snape looked down at his and Harry's arms, and saw the Darkmark fade until it was barely there. He felt the release of magic as the last of Voldemort left this life. He cradled Harry in his arms, and let out a muffled sob, before walking over to Voldemort and grabbing his wrist. He waved Voldemort's wand, leaving a marker, then apperated out, and to Hogwarts, where he knew he would find the order.

He was correct in his assumption, and found a distraught group tending to the returned victims of the night. The room went silent as Snape made his way up the hall, every eye focusing on the levitating body of the Dark Lord behind him. He got all the way to the front, where Remus was trying to subdue a distressed Sirius. They hadn't even noticed the hall fall silent.

"I'm so sorry Black." Snape's voice broke half way through, but for the first time in years he didn't care. Tears were running down his face.

Sirius turned to snarl at him, but broke as he saw Harry.

The howl Sirius made would haunt all those present for the rest of their lives. It took almost an hour before Sirius was even remotely coherent, but by then the whole hall knew the story of the night's events.

The whole school was celebrating, but Sirius stood cradling Harry's body sobbing.

"I know it's not worth anything in the World Black," Snape began addressing Remus as well, "and I know it's not fair on you two to lose your loved ones twice… But he knew what he was doing. Right at the last moment he sent me a message through his eyes… Lily's eyes." Snape lost composure for a moment, and only gained it again when Remus reached out and gripped his arm for support. Snape dropped his voice, but the whole hall could still hear. "The prophecy said only he could kill Voldemort, as while one was alive, the other would be too… so he killed himself so that anyone else would have a shot."


End file.
